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New Media Rights answers questions from the public and takes media inquiries regarding the law and technology.  Please contact us if you have a question and we'll be glad to assist you. Our free legal and how-to resources, as well as our free public media studio and equipment, are supported by donations by individuals like you, so please consider donating today! Contact us for legal assistance at (619) 591-8870.

Open College Textbook Act (S. 1714) promises seed money for the open education cause

Submitted by Meghan Bohn on Fri, 10/02/2009 - 17:29

The Open College Textbook Act proposes "to authorize grants for the creation, update, or adaption of open textbooks."

Specifically, it would authorize the Secretary of Education to award 1-year grants on a competitive basis to higher education institutions, professors, non-profit, or for profit-organizations that produce textbooks. The textbooks would be open licensed and available to be downloaded, redistributed, changed, revised, or altered by any member of the public.

Learn more here and then please sign our petition supporting the Open College Textbook Act.

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art neill's picture

Youtube puts ads on videos without permission

Submitted by art neill on Fri, 07/31/2009 - 16:57

Youtube's filtering technology may be causing advertisements to appear on content without permission.  Besides the possible contract violations, the ads create catch 22's when uploading openly licensed (ie. Creative Commonsi) content to Youtube.   Youtube could have a significant effect on the future openly licensed video content.  This is appears to be a slap in the face to open content and step in the wrong direction.

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Applying the YouTube Terms of Service: can I use a YouTube video in a presentation legally?

Submitted by jason eliaser on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 16:17

An analysis and criticism of the YouTube Terms of Service, and a (sortof) answer to the question: "Can I use a YouTube video in a presentation at a business conference?"

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New Media Rights files comments in Copyright Office music licensing rulemaking regarding Section 115 Compulsory Licenses

Submitted by New Media Rights on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 09:31
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art neill's picture

Nine Inch Nails chooses Creative Commons, but what does that really mean?

Submitted by art neill on Mon, 03/31/2008 - 10:41

Sure, NIN has licensed their new album using Creative Commons , but what does it mean for grassroots creators who want to share, remix, or sample it? What are the practical impacts of NIN choosing Creative Commons on day to day use of their work? There's bound to be more artists adopting CCi licenses, so let's see what's acceptable and what's not.

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CC+: Creative Commons & Commerce

Submitted by New Media Rights on Wed, 03/05/2008 - 01:58

This video discusses how Creative Commonsi licenses provide a default set of rights to all users, yet also allows creators to make separate agreements and contracts.

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art neill's picture

Radiohead allows users to name their price, even if its $0, on its new album In Rainbows

Submitted by art neill on Mon, 10/15/2007 - 23:31

Radiohead began offering their new album, In Rainbows, for download at the price of your choosing October 10. They're not the first band to do this, but they certainly are one of the most well known.

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